


Just Before Dawn

by smolsarcasticraspberry



Series: The Strength of a Connection [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, PWP, Smut, i keep saying i don't write smut but here's 4000 words of porn so clearly someone is lying, i mean there is a bit of plot but come on, look i don't even know at this point, mind linked sex, oh well, shallura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-11 22:49:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10476276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolsarcasticraspberry/pseuds/smolsarcasticraspberry
Summary: Set the morning after Closer to Midnight, Shiro and Allura wake up to find their minds still linked together. Shiro needs to get back to his room; Allura doesn't want him to leave. Fortunately, she's very persuasive.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a sequel to [Closer to Midnight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10184705). In that fic, Shiro and Allura went into a healing pod together and their minds got linked. Hence all the mind-linking and shared thoughts/emotions in this fic.

Allura stirs awake as the Castle of Lions shifts into its day cycle. There's no dawn or dusk in space, but the lights in her room mimic early morning sunlight as closely as Altean technology can manage. She rolls over in the bed, and feels empty space next to her.

Maybe he left. He did say he was going to sneak out early.

But as she sits up, she hears the sound of water running in the bathroom, and senses the familiar shape of Shiro's thoughts. The mind link is still active, then. It seems to be as strong as ever, and she wonders idly how long it will take to die down.

She wraps a robe around her and pads barefoot across the bedroom and into the next room of her living quarters - an office space cluttered with papers and tablets. The next room over is a small living room with a guest bathroom. She freshens up and washes her face, then stares at herself in the bathroom mirror.

They really did that. All of it.

A very pleasing mental image of Shiro naked on top of her blossoms into her mind, and she blushes so hard the markings under her eyes glow pink.

_So you're awake then_

The thought arrives from Shiro, accompanied by a burst of amused affection. He's enjoying the mental image too, and another one arrives in her head: a very clear picture of herself, naked in front of him, her head thrown back and her hands clutching the bedsheets.

She bites her lip.

_You just enjoy making me blush_

_Well it does look cute on you_

Allura shakes her head at her own reflection. Oh, this was a mistake. Not because she regrets any of it (she doesn't) but Shiro is going to be insufferable from now on.

_I'm not insufferable. I'm just happy._

She can't even argue back at that. It's too adorable.

She makes her way back to the bedroom, and spots Shiro's prosthetic on the vanity. He took it off to shower, she realises. It looks strangely alive, and Allura reaches out a hand to trace the metal fingertips. Just last night, those same fingers gripped her hip as Shiro thrust inside of her, and she came undone under his touch in a way she hasn't done in a long time.

Shiro's thoughts trickle through to her, through the new bond between their minds. He's thinking about last night too. And how he very much wants a repeat of the whole experience.

Allura blushes again. She shouldn't be this self-conscious about it, but… the intensity of Shiro's feelings for her leave her a little breathless. She can still sense his emotions: desire and affection, a constant warmth in her mind like a sun rising.

She glances around at the room. Somewhere amongst her scattered possessions and piles of clothes lie Shiro's discarded pyjamas from last night. The thought gives her a little thrill. His clothes are lost in the mess of her room. He's here. With her.

Allura turns as a door swishes open behind her and Shiro emerges from the bathroom, his hair and chest still damp from the shower. The towel wrapped around his waist is the most casual and erotic thing she's ever seen. Then he blushes, and it's suddenly just adorable. How is it he can flip so quickly?

"Hey," he says.

He smiles at her, suddenly very self-conscious, and she realises it's because he's not wearing his arm. She's never seen him without it. His right arm ends above the elbow, and the stump is a mess of scars. From his thoughts she understands that he hates looking at it, even if he's more used to it than he used to be.

"I don't hate looking at it," she says. His smile gets a little wider, but the blush remains in his cheeks.

She crosses the bedroom to stand in front of him, and he leans down to place a soft kiss on her lips. Allura feels it from his point of view as well as hers; their linked minds are still causing their experiences to overlap and flow together. She suspects the effect is heightened by emotions, but that's an area to be explored another time.

Shiro puts his hand on her shoulder. "I have to go back to my room."

His thumb catches on the collar of her robe, and the brush of skin-on-skin sends a rush of warmth down Allura's spine. She walks two fingers up Shiro's bare chest. He does a good job of keeping his face straight, but his thoughts betray him. It wouldn't take much to tempt him.

"Stop," he says, laying his hand over hers. "I have to go. Keith's gonna wake up soon. People will wonder why I'm not in my room."

His gaze is full of warmth, though, and he's amused and delighted and flattered and tempted all at once.

"But I don't want you to go," Allura says, and pouts.

He laughs and looks away from her, and shakes his head. "Please don't pull that face."

She puts two fingers on his chin and tugs his face around so that he's looking at her again. And then she pouts even harder. It works, because his thoughts come bubbling out at her: she really is irresistibly cute. He laughs again, and rests his forehead against hers.

"You're a terrible influence, you know that, right?"

Allura smirks. "I know."

She runs her hand up his neck and pulls him down into a kiss, and he doesn't fight it. Instead he snakes his arm around her waist and pulls her into his body, flush against his bare chest. He deepens the kiss, and his tongue rolls over hers, and the only thought on his mind is how much he wants her.

The feeling rushes over her like a wave, and she gasps. It's so intense it makes her knees go weak. She bites Shiro's bottom lip, and another rush of incoherent desire surges though the link between their minds. So. He likes the lip biting as much as she does.

She breaks the kiss and takes a step back from him. She locks her gaze with Shiro, and then pulls loose the tie of her robe and shrugs it off her shoulders. Shiro watches her undress for him. His eyes go wide, and an appreciative smile blooms on his face.

She wonders briefly where she gets the confidence to be like this, but the answer is obvious. It's Shiro. He gazes at her like she's the most beautiful sight in the universe.

_You're stunning_

He closes the space between them and kisses her again, more fierce this time, driven by desire and a deep-seated need that banks in his chest like fire. His hand twines into her hair and she wraps her arms around his waist, enjoying the sensation of their bare skin pressed together.

Shiro rolls his tongue over hers and groans in the back of his throat, and the surge of heat and desire from both of them makes Allura's skin tingle.

She wonders briefly if he wants to put his prosthetic back on, and the thought cuts through the lust rushing through his veins. He pulls back to look at her.

"Do you want me to wear it?" he asks. The question arrives with a jumble of thoughts, insecurity being chief amongst them.

Allura glances at the stump of his arm, then meets his gaze. "I don't mind. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to." She runs her fingers over what remains of his right shoulder and bicep, and the muscles twitch reflexively.

He watches her hand move across his stump.

"You sure you don't mind?" he asks.

_It doesn't bother me in the slightest_

He smiles, and kisses her again. Through the rush of warmth and desire she understands his love/hate relationship with the arm, and his urge to not wear it in this moment of intimacy. But his complicated feelings about the arm that isn't really his will have to wait, because he's kissing down her neck in a way that drives all rational thought from her mind.

Allura reaches for the towel at Shiro's waist and pulls it off, so that she can feel his naked body flush against hers. He groans at the contact, and the rush of fire from his thoughts knocks the breath from Allura's chest. She grabs Shiro's face and kisses him again, fierce and desperate, longing for the feeling of him inside her.

A jumble of wild thoughts leap across the bond in their minds, and Allura understands that he wants to throw her on the bed, but it's a challenge with only one arm. So she turns him around and pushes him into a sitting position on the edge of her bed. He grins up at her as she straddles his lap, and she smiles back as she kisses him. She raises herself up just enough to take him inside her, and then lowers herself onto his lap again and gasps as he fills her up.

Shiro looks at her with a certain reverence, but he doesn't want to take things slow this time. Allura understands. They're somewhat rushed as it is, and there's no time for a rerun of last night's tender contemplation of each other's bodies. Besides, Shiro's thoughts are more fierce and intense than they were last night. Maybe because it's the morning; maybe because it's not their first time together. Whatever the reason, he's hungry for more of her.

She longs for his hand on her body, and he obliges. He runs his finger up her side and finds the soft swell of her breast, her nipples already hard and tender. Shiro kisses down her neck and chest and takes a nipple in his mouth, rolling his tongue across the peak and sucking hard. His hand grips her hip and urges her into a steady rhythm, and she follows his lead, enjoying the sensation of being guided by his expert hands; the feel of him inside her, going deeper with every grind of her hips on his.

Heat blooms inside him, deep in his core, and it echoes through their linked minds. Allura can feel what he feels; the deep build of desire, the overwhelming heady pleasure of their intimacy. Shiro meets her gaze and runs his hand up her back. The fire in his eyes sends shivers down her spine, and her own arousal mirrors his, thrust for thrust, pleasure and enjoyment building within her like crackling sparks.

Without warning, Shiro lifts her bodily and lays her flat on the bed. It's an impressive feat with only one arm, but Allura doesn't have time to think about that. Shiro pulls out, and kneels on the bed in front of her. He takes her hand in his and pulls her into a kneeling position as well.

Allura looks at him, momentarily confused, but he reaches out to kiss her in a tangle of thoughts and desires. The urge that surfaces in the forefront of his mind is something… different. He has something in mind.

He breaks the kiss and looks her in the eye.

"Turn around," he says.

"What?"

The mental image Allura gets is very, very clear. He wants to take her from behind. And he knows she likes the idea because he can feel the surge of heat that pools in her belly.

"Turn around." There's an edge in his voice that she usually only hears when he's giving orders. Allura's eyes go wide, and her breath catches in her throat. Shiro's gaze is intense, and suddenly Allura has never wanted anyone more than she wants him.

"Are you telling me what to do?" she says breathlessly.

He _is._ And it's incredibly hot. And he knows it.

Shiro takes her chin in his hand, and his touch is firm but gentle. That fierce gaze never leaves hers, and she melts under the fire of it. She'll do anything he says at this point, because she's burning up.

"Yes," he says, with a smirk that makes her heart flip. "Now turn around."

She does as he says. She braces her hands on the headboard of the bed, and arches her back to bring her hips up against Shiro's. He enters her again from behind, and she gasps because something about this feels _amazing_. Maybe it's the angle, or the way his hand grips her hip, or maybe it's the feeling of being told what to do.

Shiro thrusts inside her, deep and steady, and she gasps again. It feels good for him too; his sensations echo down their bond, fiery and consuming. He likes it when she's compliant; that much she already knew, but he doesn't even dare order her around in their day jobs.

There's a momentary hint of concern in his thoughts. He's wondering if he crossed a line, but her moan of pleasure obliterates that notion. She can't think straight enough to tell him how much she likes this - all of this. Instead she grips the headboard and moans again.

Shiro leans forward and braces himself on the headboard as well, his hand next to hers. His thrusts come harder and faster, and he kisses down her neck and across her shoulders as desire surges across their bonded minds. He enjoys seeing her like this - gasping and moaning and utterly out of control.

Her climax builds within her, and her thoughts dissolve into nothing but raw need and desire.

"Shiro…" she gasps out. "Shiro!"

It's not his name, though.

He leans down and whispers in her ear: "Takashi."

_Takashi?_

_My name_

"It's Takashi," he whispers again. "Say it."

Her grip tightens on the headboard.

"Takashi!" she gasps, the unfamiliar word rolling off her tongue like it was made to fit her.

And Shiro loves it, because he moans in her ear and thrusts harder inside her.

"Say it again," he commands.

"Takashi…"

Another moan, and he's wild with desire now, and Allura's so close she can't breathe. Shiro picks up the pace, rough and desperate, until Allura's whole body feels like fire. And every thrust makes the flames fan higher, until she's gasping and panting and moaning his name - _Takashi_ \- over and over.

Her climax breaks over her in a powerful rush. Ecstasy washes through her in waves, and she cries out again and again as the pleasure takes control of her. Through the haze of her own undoing, she feels Shiro reach his limit and tip over. He finishes alongside her, gasping in her ear as his release echoes back at her through their bond.

His breath warms her neck as her thoughts come back to her in bits and pieces. She closes her eyes and tries to think straight, but all she gets is a rush of feelings from Shiro: delight and pleasure and the deep warmth of affection… and maybe just a bit of self-satisfied pride.

She huffs a laugh as she tries to get her breath back. Shiro nuzzles into the side of her neck and leaves little kisses on her spine.

"Look at me," he says softly. She turns her head to the side to catch his eye. He gazes at her intently, a slight frown creasing his forehead.

_Are you alright?_

She chuckles, her heart still racing.

_I'm more than alright_

He leans in to kiss her softly on the lips, before he disentangles his body from hers and flops down on the bed, propped up against the headrest. Allura follows him, and leans her elbow on the top of the headrest so she can prop her head on her hand and look Shiro in the eyes.

He leans in to kiss her again, and she brushes her tongue against his. She lets her legs tangle with his and her arm drape across his torso. The fire in her body dies down to a gentle simmer, but her thoughts remain lost in a pleasant haze.

Shiro breaks the kiss to look at her, and she traces lines across his chest with her fingers.

"What's gotten into you?" she asks finally.

"I don't know what you mean," he says with a playful smirk. He leans over to catch a stand of her hair in his fingers. But the thoughts tumbling out of his blissed-out mind betray him. He knows exactly what she's talking about.

She pokes him in the chest. "I don't like being told what to do."

Her blush betrays her, as do the thoughts accompanying it. She did like it. _A lot_.

Shiro grins at her. "Are you sure about that, Princess?"

She opens her mouth to come up with a snappy answer, but none is forthcoming. There's nothing she can say to the accusation. He knows full well she enjoyed it.

She buries her face in his chest to hide her blush. Her facial marks glow pink, and she wraps her arm around Shiro's torso and huffs a laugh into the bare skin of his chest. He puts his left arm around her, cradling her close.

"Hey."

She twists in his embrace and looks up. Shiro gazes down at her, his expression momentarily serious.

"I knew you liked it," he says earnestly. "If you didn't like it, I would have stopped. You know that, right?"

_I know I know_

He kisses her on the forehead.

"I don't know why I like it," she confesses. "Usually I hate being told what to do by anyone."

"It's okay if you like it." His expression is soft; his grey eyes full of gentle amusement. "I won't tell anyone."

"You better not."

He smiles, and places another soft kiss on her forehead.

Allura sits up, and tries to pull her hair into a decent up-do. But the exertions of the morning (and the night before) have left her with some work to do in that regard. Shiro watches her intently.

"Want me to brush it for you?" he offers.

She shoots him a stern look. "Oh, now you want to be sweet."

He tilts his head to one side, like a curious cat.

"I'm always sweet."

A vivid memory crashes into her mind of Shiro commanding her to turn around, and Allura blushes. Much to her delight, Shiro blushes too, as the mental image ricochets into his mind from hers. He chuckles.

"Alright, maybe not always."

His own memory comes rushing back into Allura's mind - of his name, of all things. And how it sounded on her tongue. She blushes again.

"I didn't know you had another name," she confesses. She leaves off her attentions to her hair and resumes tracing lines on Shiro's chest. He takes advantage of her proximity, and walks his fingers up and down her arm.

"Well, my full name is Takashi Shirogane," he says.

"Do you like it when I call you Takashi?"

It's obvious that he does. Little fireworks of pleasure go off in his mind whenever she says it. She runs her fingers up his chest and skims them along the line of his jaw.

"Takashi," she says again.

He hums his appreciation, but a mischievous grin appears on his face.

"I like it better when you moan it," he says.

She hits him with a pillow, and he dissolves into helpless laughter. Beautiful thoughts come tumbling out of his mind: pure joy and amusement and an intense burst of affection for her. He's happy. It's so rare on him, and so endearing, that Allura can't even be annoyed. Of course he's proud of himself. The way he can make her utterly unravel, he deserves to be a little smug.

_I'm not smug. I'm just happy that you're happy._

I can tell. I can tell."

She grins at him, and straddles his lap. His hand goes to her hip, and she pushes against his shoulders, holding him to the bed. Once again, a little thrill of pleasure comes back at her through their linked minds.

"Now _you_ have to do what _I_ tell you," she says.

He throws her a mock salute. "Whatever you say, Princess."

She cups his face in her hands and kisses him, and he smiles against her lips as he kisses her back. She loves seeing him happy.

"Why didn't you tell me your name before?" she asks.

"Everyone calls me Shiro." He skims his hand along her side, up and down, up and down. "No one calls me Takashi unless I'm really close to them."

"So it's like a private name?"

"Yeah, kinda."

Allura looks down, suddenly shy. "So… do you want us to be close?"

"Like this?"

She glances up to catch his eye again. Feelings roll off him like fog off the sea: warmth and desire, comfort and peace and contentment and joy. The softness of his eyes speaks to the depth of his affection. It's love, she realises, in some deep dark corner of her mind. He's in love with her. Completely, utterly in love.

Luckily, her deduction doesn't slip across their linked minds. She pushes the thought down and kisses him again.

"Yes. Like this. Like… lovers."

"You mean like a relationship?"

She nods. She runs her fingers through the tuft of white hair at his forehead, suddenly shy and nervous and desperate for his approval. He smiles at her like she hung every star in the sky.

"Yeah. I would like that."

"And I can call you Takashi?"

"Hmm," he nods. "I'd like that too."

She smiles as she kisses him, too happy and overwhelmed to think or say anything.

"Don't call me Takashi in front of anyone else, though," he warns. "Especially not Keith. He'll definitely know we're sleeping together."

"Hmmm… so it's like a secret name. Just between us."

"You could say that."

His grin is adorable, and for a moment Allura wonders if she's in love with him, too. If she's not now, she soon will be. It's only a matter of time, given the way he smiles at her.

She leans down to kiss him again, but a knock at the door interrupts her.

"Princess? Are you up?" Coran's voice echoes through the door.

Allura's eyes go wide.

"Quiznak!" she says. "I'm late!"

Shiro meets her wild-eyed gaze. "What does Coran want?"

"I usually meet him on the bridge every morning," she whispers. "And I'm late!"

She hops off Shiro's lap and grabs the nearest robe from one of the heaps of clothing littering her room.

"I'll be there in a few ticks, Coran!" she calls out, trying to keep her voice casual. "I overslept, that's all!"

"Are you sure you're alright, Princess?" Coran asks through the door.

"Yes, fine! Thank you! I'll meet you on the bridge if that's alright!"

Allura tugs the robe around her and turns to see Shiro pulling up his pants. She gestures frantically at him to hurry, but it only earns her a cheeky grin.

"I take it that's my cue to leave?"

It's hard to glare at him when he's so damn cute about everything.

"Princess, have you seen Shiro?" Coran asks through the door. Allura's eyebrows nearly rise clear of her head, and her mouth drops open.

"He wasn't in his room," Coran goes on. "And I can't find him on the training deck."

"He's probably running laps of the castle," Allura says, trying to keep her voice steady. Shiro isn't helping; in fact, he's biting his knuckles to keep from laughing. She swats at him with her hand, but he only catches her wrist and pulls her towards him.

"Okay. Well, if you see him, tell him I need a quick word!" Coran says.

"Yes, I'll be sure and tell him!" Allura calls out. Her hands meet Shiro's bare chest, and he grins down at her like this is the funniest thing in the universe. She tries to glare at him, and fails miserably.

"I'll see you on the bridge then, Princess!" Coran calls. Allura holds her breath, and after a few ticks Coran's retreating footsteps echo away up the corridor.

She huffs a little sigh of relief, and Shiro kisses her gently on the lips.

"I guess I really have to go now, huh," he says.

"I need to get dressed," Allura mutters.

"Speaking of clothes," Shiro says, his grin mischievous. "Where did you fling my t-shirt last night?"

She smirks at him. "I honestly don't remember. I was in the throes of passion."

It earns her a blush, and another kiss.

Shiro crosses to the vanity to reattach his prosthetic, and Allura locates his black t-shirt at the end of the bed. He pulls his arms through the sleeves and tugs it over his head. Unfortunately, he looks like a man in his pyjamas, and Allura wonders idly what the other Paladins might think if they bump into him.

"They'll think I was up all night," Shiro tells her.

She can't tell if the bond between their minds is disappearing, or if she's just getting used to fading it in and out. When she concentrates, she can sense the steady ebb and flow of Shiro's thoughts, and his feelings for her. It's comforting in its own way, and a part of her secretly hopes the bond remains intact. Especially now.

"Alright, get going," she tells him. "I need to get ready and meet Coran before he gets suspicious."

He pauses at the door, his thoughts a kaleidoscope of hope and relief and affection and optimism. It's a good look on him. He's happy, for once. Really, actually happy. He smiles at her with so much warmth it's like being hit by the rays of the sun. She crosses to his side, drawn in by his heat.

He kisses her one last time, deep and slow; a kiss to remember for the rest of the day. His arms wrap around her, and she smiles in his embrace.

"I'll see you on the bridge, Princess," he says, and slips out the door.

And she wonders how she'll look him in the eye now that she knows how it feels to run her fingers through his hair and kiss him, or how his hands feel on the bare skin of her thighs.

_I'm sure we'll figure something out_

_I'm sure we will_

And she is sure. For the first time in a long time, she's actually hopeful that things will work out.

**Author's Note:**

> So it turns out writing Shiro being a cocky little shit because he got his lady off is really fun! Who knew? Anyway I hope you all like smug Shiro. Big thanks to all my tumblr enablers for being so thirsty and making me want to write this. I keep saying I don't write smut and yet... here we are.


End file.
